Background

• The Mayor and Council for the City of Beaufort have unanimously decided there is a need for construction of a municipal complex to include consolidation of City services, police department, municipal court, planning, as well as expansion of the Main fire Station.
• City of Beaufort voters will decide whether or not to finance the new municipal complex with up to $15 million in general obligation bonds for 20 years.
• Since 2001 the City has studied whether there is a need for a new complex and consolidation of services. The main issue has been financing.
• The new municipal complex will be only the fourth building project the City has ever had and the first building the City has built in more than 20 years. Over the years the only City-built structures have been two fire stations and one sewer facility.

General obligation bonds versus other funding sources

• TIF II (tax increment financing district II) is not an option for this project because the maximum amount of TIF bonds authorized by ordinance has been reached. Cash raised from TIFF II has been and will be applied to this project.
• Beaufort officials looked at other financing alternatives. However, such alternative financing was and is more expensive than Bond Financing.
• Information provided by A.G. Edwards’ Municipal Bond Department indicates that general obligation bonds would provide the least expensive way to finance the new complex.

About the municipal complex and fire station expansion

• City leaders seek to better serve Beaufort residents with a more central location that also consolidates City services into fewer locations.
• The new complex will also meet current and future space requirements for the police department, City Hall and courts as well as encourage development and re-development of key areas in the Land Use Plan and Boundary Street Master Plan.
• With the new complex there will be no need to rent additional office space. The City currently spends about $107,000/year renting space for the police and other departments. That $107,000/year could instead go towards operating expenses, savings, or both.
• A cramped Carnegie building currently serves as the City’s planning and development services building. Moving these services into the new municipal complex would provide greater benefit and convenience to constituents.
• Carnegie and City Hall buildings will be sold with the proceeds going towards the new municipal complex.
• Expansion of the Ribaut Road fire station—the headquarters station—will give the fire department much-needed space for in-service training, maintenance and storage. The expansion will address future space needs.

New complex benefits

• The new municipal complex and fire station expansion will provide more than adequate physical facilities for government and public services and ultimately enable the City to better serve constituents.
• The new complex and expanded fire station will have be more energy efficient and allow for effective space utilization for current and future needs.
• Police will have more adequate space for important record-keeping and staffing needs.
• Locating City Hall and other City offices at the Boundary Street location will help to develop a formal entrance to Beaufort.
• Developing a formal entrance to Beaufort was one of the key issues citizens expressed in the Boundary Street Master Plan.
• Citizens also expressed a desire for a City Hall building which would have easier access, be more user-friendly, reflect the character and ideals of the Beaufort community, and respect open and green space.